Digital Media Center
Bryant-Denny Stadium, Gate 61
920 Paul Bryant Drive
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0370
(800) 654-4262

© 2025 Alabama Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

North Alabama youngsters get back to nature

Pixabay

Summer camp season is upon us. And, youngsters in the Cullman area will be spending some time in the great outdoors at the North Alabama Agriplex. The sixth annual Nature Day camp gets underway tomorrow. Campers will spend time at Sportsman’s Lake which is on the Alabama birding Trail. Rachel Dawsey* is executive director of the Agriplex. She says the youngsters will get a nature journal to jot down what they see…

“They get a t-shirt, and our goal is to get kids outside, to get them appreciating nature, and we've got a lot of great teachers and resources poured into this day. So yeah, just come take advantage of it,” said Dawsey.

The Nature Camp at the Agriplex includes speakers ranging from a retired forest to a representative of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. The Campers will also spend time birdwatching at Sportsman’s Lake and jot down what they see in nature journals. Dawsey says she’s seen Indigo Buntings, Red Headed Woodpeckers, and Tanagers, and that’s just starters…

“There's the water area. And so in the water area, there is, I've seen kingfisher. I saw a bald eagle there this year. There's grebes, and all kinds of ducks there, and that's just in the pond,” she said.

The Nature Campers will also build their own walking sticks and outdoor shelters. The camp runs through Wednesday.

 

Pat Duggins is news director for Alabama Public Radio.
News from Alabama Public Radio is a public service in association with the University of Alabama. We depend on your help to keep our programming on the air and online. Please consider supporting the news you rely on with a donation today. Every contribution, no matter the size, propels our vital coverage. Thank you.